The First Presbyterian Church of Corning will still serve community members who were not able to reserve a space. The Fellowship Hall's doors will open at 1 E. First St., Corning, at no...

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Come to dinner

The First Presbyterian Church of Corning will still serve community members who were not able to reserve a space. The Fellowship Hall's doors will open at 1 E. First St., Corning, at noon today, and dinner is free of charge. For more information, call 937-5419.

Susan Sheldon carefully folds bright red napkins as she watches her children set tables inside the First Presbyterian Church in Corning. The family, along with other volunteers and church members, is preparing for congregation's annual Deacon's Christmas Day Dinner.

The Christmas dinner, currently in its 38th year, is open to anyone in the community who might otherwise be alone on the holiday. With more than 100 reservations already, the church still accepts walk-ins on Christmas day. Christmas dinners are also delivered to the Corning City Police Department, Corning Fire Department, and Rural/Metro Corporation in Corning.

Sheldon, 50, of Corning, has been volunteering for the church's Christmas day dinner for nearly six years. Once her children came of age, she allowed them to help out, too.

"The kids got old enough to realize to give back a little," Sheldon said. "They see how important it is to look out for the community."

Sheldon's oldest daugther Grace, 18, sees volunteering at the church as both a good deed and a Christmas tradition.

"This makes it feel more like Christmas," she said. "It shows people care."

Volunteering for the Christmas dinner is part of Kate Danforth's family tradition as well. Her family has been helping out for 30 years.

Danforth, 62, is the chairperson for the Christmas dinner, which usually serves around 150 guests.

"It's a gift to the community from the congregation," she said. "It started very small, but it has gotten much bigger. Some guests have been coming for years."

The Christmas dinner is also part of the Neuner family's holiday tradition. Curtis Neuner, 58, serves as the church's sexton.

"This is my family's 18th year cooking the feast," he said.

Neuner began cooking the meal at 7 a.m. Monday morning. All of the food used is acquired through donations - monetary or otherwise.

As Neuner cooks, Galer Perreault, 78, opens can after can of peaches and pears, making enough fruit cocktail for the expected guests.

A former member of the congregation, Perreault has been volunteering at the Christmas dinner for five years.

"It's just a whole bunch of nice people working together for others," he said.